Perception of sustainability and its relations with the urban environment: A subjective assessment of Brazilian cities residents

Abstract

Sustainability in the urban context is closely linked with the contextual characteristics of neighborhoods. However, what are the characteristics of the urban environment that most contribute to the residents' perception of sustainability? The objective of the present research is to analyze the correlation between the perception of sustainability and the main characteristics of the urban environment. In this way, a sample of more than 300 respondents was obtained through a questionnaire made up of qualitative questions. The hypotheses raised are that the concern with sustainability is related to tangible and non-tangible characteristics of the neighborhoods. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. The results indicated that the perceptions of individuals in relation to the neighborhood are important factors in the perception of sustainability. Still, the concern with sustainability is related to the satisfaction of the residents, especially in relation to the appearance of the neighborhood and maintenance of the neighborhood.

Keywords: sustainable planning, neighborhood satisfaction, individual perception, multivariate analysis.